2002 Montinore Estate Pierce's Elbow Pinot Noir

Finding an excellent Pinot Noir for under $25 is a difficult task. Good Pinots are getting more and more expensive. So, finding an inexpensive Pinot is a special treasure. And I have found such a treasure!

Montinore Estate is a family-owned and operated winery in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The winery was established in 1982 by two generations of the Marchesi family, Italian-Americans. The winery combines Old World wine-making techniques with learned biodynamic farming. Their vineyards contain primarily Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Gewurtztraminer, Riesling, and Muller-Thurgau. More than half their vineyards are Pinot Noir. They make several levels of Pinot Noir, with their vineyard-designated Pinots being at the pinnacle.

The 2002 Montinore Estate Pierce's Elbow Pinot Noir ($20) is one of their higher end Pinots. Only 300 cases of this wine were made. This is a very light colored red wine with a cherry and strawberry nose. It is more Burgdunian in style, being lighter and more subtle. It has lots of complexity on the palate, a melange of well-integrated flavors with nothing overpowering. There is a very long, lingering finish. This wine has seen a little aging and seems to have gotten better from the last time I tasted it, over a year ago.

For the price, this is a superb value Pinot, and I recommend it as a Drink & Buy. I have not had their later vintages, the 2006 being their latest release.